The verdict is out.
Greenery – the symbol of life, growth and rejuvenation, is the painstakingly chosen color of the year 2017.

Green is Forever. So is Greenery.

Yes, Greenery has indeed come as a surprise. With Pantone going all pastel last year with Pink-Blue selection, there was no telling that it would go light this year too. Marsala had raised our hopes to the point of no return and Greenery came a bit of a rude shock to the creative fraternity.

Greenery is for ever and not just for 2017. Selecting Greenery as the color of the year has somehow trivialised the essence and power of the color that soothes and heals. Seeing a powerful force of nature reduced to ’15-0343′ is a little heart breaking… just like the many events that prompted the Pantone team to go select a color of hope.

Symbolising ‘re’ – regenerate, refresh, revive, restore, revitalize and renew, Greenery is the most unexpected color choice as the color and the word ‘Green’ has been done to death in the last few years. In these tumultuous times, there was no way mankind was turning to Pantone’s diktat of finding respite in the color of the year.

Traditional fabrics have an understated charm of their own. They not only look and feel good, but also evoke mixed emotions of calmness, restlessness and nostalgia.

When these traditional fabrics permeate unusual spaces, like offices and study desks, they bring in a sense of longing for the bygone era. In contrast with the impersonal, mono-chromatic, glass-acrylic laden workplaces, traditional fabrics seem to remind us of our roots and tell us to take things slow.

Wrapping these ethnic fabrics around our everyday utility items like books and workstations not only breaks the monotony of the daily grind but also becomes a great conversation starter for those who like to stay rooted. Not to mention how good the hand-woven texture feels when touched.

Here is a simple tutorial on covering your notebooks (not the eBooks, but then why not) with traditional hand loom fabrics that serve as a great reminder of good-slow-life. Let’s get started with the tutorial.

Old books have many uses. After giving your books away to those who love to read, there are always some that you don’t know what to do with. For such books and your spring-cleaning agony, here is a tutorial on upcycling a hard-bound book cover into a flip cover for your tablet. This flip cover also doubles up as a viewing stand for your smart gadget.

The intention of this tutorial is to make use of whatever is at home and within reach, instead of going out to buy new stuff. This defeats the purpose of recycling or upcycling. The idea of transforming a seldom-used thing into an item of utility makes the whole exercise meaningful. Not to mention the sweet sweat, joy and love that comes with anything that is handmade.

This is probably not the right time of the year to write or post about anything related to enjoying the sun as it is peak summer in India. But then who can resist the charm of spending some time in a plant-laden sunroom. Sunrooms need no season or reason as the magic of sunlight and sun-kissed plants are a good enough to indulge or dream about. It does not matter which season you are living through for you can always find moments and benefits of spending time soaking in a bit of the gentle sun.